Tap and bush for beer-kegs.



No. 879,983 I PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908? H. J. SANDELL.

TAP AND BUSH FOR BEER KEGS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 20.1907.

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W MMWWQAQ HARRY J. SANDELL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

TAP AND BUSH FOR BEER-KEGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed April 20, 1907. Serial No. 369.236.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY J. SANDELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of I-Iennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Taps andBushes for Beer Kegs; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved tap anc bush"especially adapted for application to beer kegs, and to this end itconsists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafterdescribed and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawin s, Figure 1 is a vertical section takencentrally through the improved tap and bush and a portion of the keg towhich it is applied, some parts being shown in full. Figs. 2 and 3 aredetail views respectively in plan and side elevation, showing the tapand bush removed from the keg. Fig. 4 is a detail view in elevation,showing the tap removed from the bush and Fig. 5 is a plan view of thebush, the tap being removed therefrom.

The numeral 1 indicates the keg, a portion only of which is shown. Intoa suitable bung hole in the side of the keg is screwed an externallythreaded bush 2. This bush 2 is provided with an axial passage 3 thatflares toward the inner end of the bush. In its face surrounding theaxial passage 3 the bush is formed with a deep annular channel 6. At theouter portion of its rim said bush is formed with cam engaging lugs 7that project into the said channel 6, and as shown are locateddiametrically opposite to each other. In the outer extremity of the hubwhich is formed between the axial passage 3 and channel 6 is an annulargroove 8 from which a multiplicity of small air ducts 9 open into theintermediate portion of the inwardly flaring axial passage 3. The saidpassage 3 is normally tightly closed by a cork 10 which is forcedthereinto under high compression.

The so-called tap portion of the device includes a cup shaped head 1 1which is adapted to be freely passed into the annular groove 6 andaround the hub portion of the bush 2 and is provided with inclined facedcam lugs 12 adapted for a camming engagement with the lugs 7 of saidbush. The said cap 11 is provided with an axial passage 13 that alineswith the axial passage 3 of the bush, and within said cap is acompressible gasket or packing 14 which has an axial passage that alineswith the said passages 3 and 13. As preferably constructed, this cap 11is cast integral with an operating lever 15 and a hollow neck portion16, through which latter compressed air is adapted to be delivered intothe keg when the device is applied thereto. As shown, the air supplyduct 17 of said neck 16 has a tubular delivery portion 18 that extendsthrough the packing 14 and delivers directly into the annular air duct 8when the device is applied in working position and regardless of theexact rotary position which the tap may occupy when applied. Compressedair from a suitable source of supply is adapted to be delivered througha hose (not shown) into a coupling 19 which, as shown, is screwed intothe receiv'ing end of the neck 16.

The tap is adapted for application to the bush when the cam lugs 12 areturned out of line with the cam engaging lugs 7 of the bush and when thesaid cam lugs are forced into the channel 6 beyond the said lugs 7 andthe tap is rotated so as to force the inclined faces of the lugs 12against the said lugs 7, the packing 14 may be tightly pressed againstthe hub of the bush as illustrated in Fig. 1. In practice it isdesirable to first thus apply the tap and to but slightly compress thepacking 14; then to insert the usual outlet tube 20, indicated by dottedlines in Fig. 1, through the passages 3 and 13 and through the bush,thereby forcing the cork. 10 into the keg; and then by further rotarymovement of the tap to more tightly close the joints between the partsby further compression of the said packing 14.

By reference to Fig. 1 it will be noted that because of the flare of thepassage 3 in the bush, the inner extremities of the air ducts 9 are leftopen when the tube 20 is inserted, so that the air may freely pass intothe keg from the air supply device.

The device above described has in practice been found highly efficientfor the purposes had in view. It is very simple, and of small cost, hasfew parts to get out of order and may be very quickly applied to orremoved from a keg.

What I claim is:

1. A bush 2 having an inwardly tapered axial passage 3, annular groove6, inwardly projecting lugs 7, annular air duct 8, in the outerextremity of its hub portion, and air ducts extending from said duct 8to the intermediate portion of said flaring passage 3, in combinationwith a cap 11 insertible into the groove 6, of said bush, and providedwith cam lugs 12 engageable with the said bush lugs 7 a lever 15 rigidwith said cap, an air conducting neck 16 also rigid with said cap 11, anannular packing 14 within said cap 11, the said cap having a tubepassage 13, and a sleeve extension 18 from the air passage of said neck16 extending through said packing 14 and leading to the annular air duct8 of said bush, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a bush adapted for application to a keg andhaving an axial tube passage and an eccentric air supply duct, of acup-shaped head or ca having interlocking engagement with said ush andprovided with an axial tube passage and an eccentrically located airduct, and a packing ring within said head and arranged in itself to forma liquid tight joint between said bush, head and a tube which is adaptedto be inserted through the axial passages thereof, the air duct of saidcap having a tubular extension passed through said packing ring" andcommunicating with the air duct in said bush, substantially asdescribed.

1 In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HARRY J. SANDELL.

Witnesses:

MALIE HoEL, F. D. MERoHANT.

